Cavatak shows potential against bladder cancer

Viralytics (ASX:VLA) said early findings of joint research support the potential application of its Cavatak oncolytic virus in treating bladder cancer.

Preliminary findings of the research indicate the presence of widespread ICAM-1 receptors on the surface of bladder cancer cells.

Cavatak, a proprietary formulation of coxsackievirus A21, works by binding to the N-terminal domain of surface expressed ICAM-1, then working its way into cancer cells.

This means Cavatak, which already has potential applications in cancers including melanoma, breast and prostate cancers, may also be effective in bladder cancer.

“These findings are very encouraging in our quest to enter early stage clinical evaluation of Cavatak for the treatment of patients with superficial bladder cancer,” Pandha said.

Viralytics is currently involved in a phase II trial of Cavatak in melanoma, under its Investigational New Drug application with the US FDA.

According to the company, of the 13 patients so far dosed in the trial, three have demonstrated immune-related progression-free survival at 6 months.

The company also recently published some results from an earlier phase I safety and tolerability study in stage IV patients with solid tumours.

The studies are being conducted with Professor Hardev Pandha's research team at the University of Surrey in the UK.

Viralytics (ASX:VLA) shares were trading 5% higher at 32c as of around 4pm on Thursday following the announcement.